Razor-blade knife



Sept. 14 1926.

@l w WETMQWE RAZOR BLADE KNIFE Filed May l, 1922 m. 11 A E V N r..

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Patented Sept. 14, i926.

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CHARLES E. WETMORE, OF MILW'AUKEE, XVISCONSIN, ASSIGNGR, BY MESNE ASSIG-N- MENTS, TD XVETMORE KNFE, INC., OF IJLNAUKEE, VISGONSN, A `(lCllrtl?ORA'LON OF WISGONSLN.

Razon-enana Knien.

Application led May 1,

This invention relates to knives for utilizing thin safety razor blades.

Its main objects are to provide such a knife with simple and effective means for securely but releasably clamping and hold ingl thin safety razor blades in place for use therein without loose or detachable fastenings; to prevent the binding or rubbing of the clamping' leaves of the blade holder next to the blade against the sides of the handle in opening and closing the knife; to privide a yielding frictional egagement be-' tween opposing' faces of the blade holder and handle adjacent their pivot connection for holding the knife opener closed; to facilitate removing and replacing blades; to shield'or guard the hand in which the knife is held against the inner end or corner of the cutting` edge of the. blade; to prevent Contact between the cutting edge of the blade and the back of the handle when the knife is closed; and generally to improve the construction and increase the utility or convenience of `knives of this class'.

lt consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly ydescribed land pointed outA in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like char` Figure l is a side elevation of an kopenA knife embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the open knife on the. line 2 2, Fig. l: Fig. 3 is a view as seen from the top of Fig. l showingthe blade holder without a blade separated from and in alignment with the handle; Fig. l is an enlarged cross section on .the line 4 4, Fig. l, of the blade holder with a blade held therein; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are similar sectional views illustrating the method of forming the blade holder'.

fis shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the knife comprises a handle 1, a blade holder 2, pivoted to and adapted to close into the handle, and a thin renewable blade 3, such as are used in certain safety razors.

The handle l is preferably made'of sheet metal with spaced parallel sides connected along the back by a fold 4. At the end opposite the blade holder 2, the sides of the handle are formed'with inturned spacing flanges 5, which close that end of the handle.

set at the ends as shown in Fig. 2.

1922. serial No. 557,634.-

4lt is also preferably provided at the same end with a loop or ring 6, for attaching the `knife to a carrying chain.` Adjacent the closed end the edges of thehandle-sidesteppesite the Aback 'are formed with thumb hatches 7. f i

The blade holder 2 `is made yof spring sheet metal with slightly concaved clampinO; leaves which are yieldingly connected with each other alonglthefback by a' fold.`

Sl, and are preferably gradually ehamfered or beveled to forni sharp or thin'edges between'which a blade is clamped and held adiacent` its exposed cutting edge.`

At their'inner ends the clamping" leaves of the blade holder are extended and formed intoA outwardly loffset pivot Shanks or4 ears l0, which are fitted to turn on a washeror spacing and pivot member ll `inserted between and fastened to the sides of the handle adjacent its open end. The washer `or spacing and pivot member l1 is,v preferaoly fastened in place in the handle with the blade holder 2 ypivotally mountedthereon, by a rivet l2, passing through the washer and aligned holes in `thesides of the handle, over which it is upset at the ends to bind and hold the sides of the handle faces is slightly greater than the Adistance between the inner faces of the handle sides.

ln assembling' the parts of the knife, ears l0 are sprung, withv a washer or spacing member ll inserted therein, between the sides of the handle, and a rivet 12 is then inserted through the aligned openings in the washer and sides of the handle and up- The outward pressure thus exerted by the inwardly ,A l

l)'/ielding` spaced .pivot Shanks or ears 10 'inst the sides of the handlev` produces icient friction to hold the knifeopen or closed, and the outward offsets between the clamping' leaves and the pivot ears .prevent the blade clamping portions of the leaves from binding or rubbing against the sides of the handle in opening and closing the knife.

The blade holder 2 is made to tightly clasp and hold a blade 3 between the separated edges of the clamping leavesthe entire length 4of the blade, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4. By giving the leaves a somewhat greater initial concavity on their inner sides transversely to their length, as shown in Fig. 5, than they have when the holder is completed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, and then pressing them together upon an interposed blade 14 of about the thickness of a blade, and peening the connecting fold 9 so as to impart a set to the metal along the adjacent corners of the plate, as shown in Fig. 6, the sharp edges of the leaves will be pressed and held tightly together, as shown in F 7, when the plate 14 is removed.

At their outer ends the leaves of the holder are formed with spreading ears or projections 16, between which a pin or similar instrument may be inserted to separate the leaves sufficiently for the insertion of the blade between them.

One or each leaf of the blade holder is formed adjacent the back fold 9 with a nail notch 18, which is exposed when the knife is closed through one of the handle notches 7, for opening the knife.

Both leavesof the blade holder are ei;- tended transversely adjacent the ears 10, to form a shield or guard and stop 20, which prevents the hand in which the knife is held from coming in contact with and being cut by the inner corner or end of the exposed cutting edge of the blade when the knife is open, and which by engagement with the back fold 4 of the handle, prevents the cutting edge of the blade from coming into contact with said fold when the knife is closed.

The back fold 9 of the blade holder 2 is made to abut atV its inner end against the adjacent end of the back fold 4 of the handle and thus serve as a stop to limit the opening movement of the blade holder in alignment with the handle, as shown in Fig. l.

@ne leaf of the blade holder is preferably formed adjacent the back fold as shown in Fig. l, with a nail cleaning prong or point 22, which is inwardly offset, as shown 1n Figs. 2, 8 and 7, so as to serve as a gageA stop for properly positioning a blade lengthwise in the holder, the blade being held at its ends, when clamped in the holder, against longitudinal displacement in either direction by the washer or member 11 and the shoulder formed by the offset of the prong or point.

llhe prong or point 22 closes with the holder and blade into the handle, which serves as a shield or guard therefor when the knife is closed.

I claim:

l. ln a razor-blade knife the combination of a handlel having spaced parallel sides connected by a fold along the back, and a spring metalblade holder composed of concave rlainping leaves connected along `the back by a fold which tends to press their opposite edges together upon an interposed blade, and pivoted adjacent one end to and between the handle sides, the leaves being extended transversely adjacent the pivoted end of the holder and forming a stop adapted by engagement with the back fold of the handle to prevent Contact of the blade edge with said fold.

2. ln a raZor-blade knife thecombination of a handl having spaced sides, and a blade holder pivot d in and adapted to closel into the handle and comprising clamping leaves connected by a spring fold along the back, one of said leaves being provided at the outer end thereof with a nail-cleaning prong offset laterally with respect to said leaf and arranged to engage the blade and prevent longitudinal movement thereof in one direction.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature.

CHARLES P. VVETMORE. 

